Implementation of a perioperative smoking cessation program with computer based patient education increases the rate of short term (1 month) and long term (6 month) reduces the incidence of perioperative complications in elective surgical patients.

The patients will complete a pre module and post module set of questions to determine whether their knowledge about peri operative smoking cessation increase smoking has changed. According to their willingness and eligibility, pharmacotherapy will be given.

Behavioral: Computer based patient education

Detailed Description:

Patients will be enrolled in the quit smoking before surgery program. Before participating in the education program, the investigators will ask patients questions about their smoking habits, and patient will complete pre-education questionnaires that should take about 5 minutes. Patients will participate in a computer-based education program about quitting smoking for about 15 minutes. It will explain the importance of quitting smoking before their surgery, how to quit and coping with quitting. If they are not familiar with using a computer, we will provide an assistant for them to complete the education program. After completing the education program, they will complete a post-education questionnaire. patients will also receive an information pamphlet.

Altogether you will be spending about 30 minutes to complete the assessment, education program and counselling.

patients will be asked for their permission to inform their family physician about their participation in this study. Their smoking status, date of surgery, quit date, and recommended medication (when appropriate) will be faxed to your family physician to assist them quitting process. If they are willing to accept the assistance from Smokers' Helpline, their name and phone number will be faxed to the Smokers' Helpline, and someone from Smokers' Helpline will call you in the next 48 hours to follow-up.

The investigators will monitor patient's smoking behavior by measuring expired carbon monoxide, a gas in the air they breathe out, during their pre-surgery visit and on the day of surgery. We also will measure urine cotinine (a by-product of nicotine) by taking urine samples and check their smoking status by asking questions about their smoking habits on the day of surgery, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after their surgery. During the telephone interview follow-up, we will remind them to do the urine cotinine and mail it to us. (Prepaid mail with urine cotinine strip will be provided at the time of the 2nd visit on the day of surgery.) Each follow-up phone call will take about 6 -10 minutes.

A one-month,3 month and 6 month follow up will be done by the research coordinator to assess the smoking status. Brief counseling (< 5 mins) will be provided.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients> 18 years of age

self reported smokers ( daily or non daily smokers)

Scheduled for elective surgical procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

patients who cannot read and understand English

Have any form of cognitive impairment

Do not have a telephone

Drug or alcohol abuser dependence within the past year

Patients whop are already on pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02053155